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GUNDERSON - Hoping to go viral this fall

The cameras were rolling this weekend in Yorkton as several scenes from Gunderson were shot at locations around the city. Yorkton people may well be familiar with the Gunderson character, the short video persona of Tyson Off.


The cameras were rolling this weekend in Yorkton as several scenes from Gunderson were shot at locations around the city.

Yorkton people may well be familiar with the Gunderson character, the short video persona of Tyson Off. He was brought to life in a series of 'Welcome to Yorkton' videos which garnered thousands of hits on YouTube.

Off's work caught the attention of filmmaker Daniel Redenbach, originally from Yorkton, but now based in Regina.

Redenbach said it was the strong following for Off's videos - the videos getting 25,000 hits was intriguing - which initially attracted his attention and got him thinking about creating a more professionally put together package. It was that idea that percolated over several months to crystallize as Gunderson, which will be seen on the Internet through 10 'webisodes', eight-to-10-minute shorts.

Redenbach said cooperating was a natural, adding the conversation was pretty simply; "I do this for a living. You (Off) want to do this for a living, why not figure out a way to make it happen."

So Gunderson was born. Redenbach said the show is a comedy about community, family, friends, and growing up in Yorkton. "It follows key character Glen Gunderson in an overarching plot involving Gunderson's coming-of-age, Yorkton, Saskatchewan's political structure, and the hijinks of this schmuck's life. Gunderson will combine comedic narrative with improvisational moments of the lead character interacting with the real town of Yorkton," explained a show synopsis.
This weekend the shooting of Gunderson was just hitting its stride.

"We're in day three of eight days of shooting," said Redenbach after spending Saturday afternoon shooting a scene at Western Financial Group City Centre Park. " The prep was about a month, and we're almost half way through shooting now."

Off said it is a new experience working with Redenbach on the project, stating simply the filming process is more professional than what he did before. That said, the young actor said it has not been an intimidating change.

"I thought it might be, but I'm really pretty comfortable with it," said Off.

Redenbach said Off is quickly growing in the role of Gunderson.

"Every day, every take, he gets better," he said, adding they are plowing through 11, or 12 pages of script a day. "That's crazy. A feature film is one, two pages a day."

Off said he just wants to make Gunderson as strong a project as possible.

"I want to come off as best I can. I want to do the best I can," he said. "I want to give the best of me."

It helps that at least some of Off himself is in the character Gunderson.

"There's a bit of me in there, there's a bit of Tyson in there," said Redenbach, adding the pair teamed to co-write the scripts.

While some pages might be from one of the writers in the end "we both got to say what we wanted," said Redenbach, who added he often turned to Off to add dialogue that was relevant to the local scene.

And while there are scripts for each webisode, they are not etched in stone, allowing the actors to ad-lib where they are inspired to do so. Redenbach related how one episode takes Gunderson to Regina on a quest of sorts. They hit the Cathedral District and let Off go. The cameras rolled, and Off worked without a script at all.

"That stuff we'd never have been able to write," said Redenbach.


The general plot is explained as "Glen Gunderson, a 21-year-old party animal, enjoys his life in the small prairie city of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. He has a decent job at a pizza joint, he seldom attends the classes he needs to graduate, and he kicks his feet up playing video games in his parent's basement. He's got a few friends, and a family that loves him despite his flaws. One day Glen's mother has a heart to heart with him, throwing his leisurely world into upheaval- she's leaving his father for another man. Glen is going to have to grow up and move out of the house.

"After a bit of research and a lot of lamenting, Glen decides that living off of student loans in the big city is the way to go. He'll be able to party all he wants, meet women who will want to sleep with him, and get paid for simply getting out of bed and going to class. He begins to soul search to the bottom of every bottle, attempting to discover what his passion may be and makes a goal of completing his high school classes - or at least concocting a way to sneak by.

"Glen's father, however, is not so ready to move on. After his wife leaves him, he begins a megalomaniacal campaign to become town mayor- a position that would allow him to destroy the town he so loathes. As Glen's departure time looms near, so does election day. The fate of the entire city of Yorkton could be resting in the hands of the-most-unlikely, Glen Gunderson."

James Whittingham, a comedic actor from Regina who has been part of Just for Laughs, and the Saskatchewan-produced program James and Kevin Show, plays the father.

Whittingham said while not out actively seeking film roles, when a good one is offered, he is always interested.

"I just do whatever comes up that my friends do," he said after completing a scene Saturday, adding if it's a comedic role he is often "glad to do it."

With Gunderson it was a project Whittingham said he was immediately drawn too.

"I hadn't been offered something so juicy before," he said. "I spent the other day in a fit of rage. It was absolutely exhausting but it's probably one of my largest roles."

Ken Francis is a Saskatchewan actor best known as a member of the Bionic Bannock Boys. He was brought onto the cast to fill the role of Hal, the owner of Pizza Beach where Gunderson is employed. He is also having an affair with Gunderson's mother.

Francis said Redenbach approached him through Facebook, adding it was an invitation he was happy to accept.


"In Saskatchewan the film industry is all about small productions," he said, adding those in the sector "all help each other out as much as they can."

While small roles are just that, Francis noted, "smaller budget productions hone people's skills."

In the case of Gunderson Francis said he was actually aware of Off's previous works which were posted on YouTube, so that made him immediately interested in the role.

"Then I read the script and it made me laugh," he said, adding he liked that the scripts were flexible. "He (Redenbach) said if I had a feeling to go with it. That freedom was attractive too."

The role of Gunderson's mother is performed by Angel Genereux, who came to the role after being approached by a casting agency.

"I had worked with Daniel (Redenbach) on one of his music videos," she said, adding the role of Judy Gunderson was one she immediately liked as a relative newcomer to acting. " It's (acting) something I've always wanted to do. I've been in community theatre the last five years."

Like Francis the script was what finally sold Genereux on the role.

"It made me laugh out loud. When I read a script and laugh I know I'm going to like it," she said, adding Gunderson has a quirky sense of humour to it, with elements of My Name Is Earl, Trailer Park Boys, "and a little bit more."

The first webisodes of Gunderson should hit the Internet in October, said Redenbach, with a sort of prologue piece, then 10-shows, the last a double-length offering.

The hope is Gunderson will become a viral hit, and the effort can be followed on Twitter, and through a fanpage on Facebook.

You can also befriend Glen Gunderson himself on Facebook, Off's alter ego and the show's star already has 500 friends on the popular social media site.

As for making money on the project, while the ultimate hope might be for a television channel to come calling, Off is more realistic in the short-term. He said they are hoping merchandise, hats, t-shirts and other items promoting Gunderson catch on.

Redenbach said there will be "some little surprises," through the webisodes where people can purchase show props, and there may be a chance to see episodes before 'official release' and other goodies through a membership to the site.

Gunderson is a project with a younger demographic in mind, something the actors recognize.
"I'm starting to get older and this is for younger people," said Whittingham, but he added the scripts still had him laughing. He said the scripts have enough story to them that he believes " People will take to the Gunderson character."

If Gunderson does capture people's attention, then "it could take off," said Whittingham, who added while Gunderson is based in a small Saskatchewan city, people all over will recognize the stories at the heart of the character. " He's kind of small town stoner guy."

Genereux said older people will get Gunderson if they have the right state-of-mind.

"People a little older will get it if they've got a warped sense of humour," she said.

Whittingham said being involved in Gunderson may just be something for fun, but there is always a chance it could open some doors in a major way.

"I learned a long time ago something small can lead to something big." he said. "I don't have any expectations, but it's always possible."

Genereux said anything is possible.

"This has the potential to go viral and we all hope it does," she said.